The FDA said yesterday that it will be participating in two “collaborative communities,” joining the National Evaluation System for Health Technology Coordinating Center collaborative community (NESTcc) and the Ophthalmic Imaging collaborative community.

The collaborative communities, convened by interest stakeholders, are for private and public sector members, including the FDA, to work together on medical device challenges to achieve common goals

The goal for the NESTcc is to link and synthesize data, from sources such as clinical registries, electronic health records and medical billing claims, to improve the quality of real-world evidence.

The Ophthalmic Imaging collaborative community will set out to clarify challenges, best practices, strategies and standards while advancing innovation in the ophthalmic imaging space. The stakeholders involved are seeking to develop solutions to refine diagnosis, management and treatment of patients with eye diseases, along with other medical conditions.

According to an FDA release, the agency does not establish, lead or operate the communities and are not advised by them, but the FDA may participate as a member and consider adopting solutions developed by the communities.

The FDA said it is encouraging more of these communities as part of the Center for Devices and Radiological Health’s initiative to participate in at least 10 collaborative communities by Dec. 31, 2020.